Shirley Graham

Great piece on Shirley Graham's opera, Tom-Tom, and other works by Black women composers.

Benjamin Talton reminds us about problematic US record on fighting global white supremacy. Cites "African American activists’ steadfast opposition to authoritarianism and white supremacy at home and abroad offer lessons for the U.S. government," especially Cold War dissenters like Shirley Graham and W.E.B. Du Bois.

Not only were parts of Shirley Graham's opera Tom-Tom performed last month, Boston's Castle of our Skins, producer of concerts and other cultural programming that celebrates Black excellence in classical music, just filled its inaugural Shirley Graham creative-in-residence position, which was awarded to 

Shirley Graham's opera Tom-Tom, the first opera written and produced by an African American woman, will be the subject of a Caramoor Summer Music Festival exploration this summer, with a live performance, as well as live-streaming of the event.

Sometimes, getting on the television blacklist came down to having supported an event in the past, often many years ago.